Head to Head Analysis: Bristow Group (NYSE:VTOL) versus Frontier Group (NASDAQ:ULCC)

Frontier Group (NASDAQ:ULCC) and Bristow Group (NYSE:VTOL) are both small-cap transportation companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their dividends, valuation, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, profitability, risk and earnings.

Profitability

This table compares Frontier Group and Bristow Group’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Frontier Group	-3.65%	-25.73%	-2.10%
Bristow Group	9.71%	14.83%	6.43%

Volatility and Risk

Frontier Group has a beta of 2.55, suggesting that its share price is 155% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Bristow Group has a beta of 1.39, suggesting that its share price is 39% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares Frontier Group and Bristow Group”s gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Frontier Group	$3.78 billion	0.30	$85.00 million	($0.61)	-8.11
Bristow Group	$1.42 billion	0.90	$94.80 million	$4.78	9.22

Bristow Group has lower revenue, but higher earnings than Frontier Group. Frontier Group is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Bristow Group, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of recent ratings and target prices for Frontier Group and Bristow Group, as reported by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Frontier Group	2	5	2	0	2.00
Bristow Group	0	0	2	0	3.00

Frontier Group currently has a consensus price target of $6.38, indicating a potential upside of 28.79%. Given Frontier Group’s higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe Frontier Group is more favorable than Bristow Group.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

93.3% of Bristow Group shares are owned by institutional investors. 48.0% of Frontier Group shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 13.4% of Bristow Group shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Summary

Bristow Group beats Frontier Group on 9 of the 13 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Frontier Group

Frontier Group Holdings, Inc., provides low-fare passenger airline services to leisure travelers in the United States and Latin America. The company sells its products through direct distribution channels, including its website, mobile app, and contact centers. As of December 31, 2023, it had a fleet of 136 Airbus single-aisle aircrafts. Frontier Group Holdings, Inc. was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in Denver, Colorado.

About Bristow Group

Bristow Group Inc. provides vertical flight solutions. The company primarily offers aviation services to integrated, national, and independent offshore energy companies and government agencies. It also provides personnel transportation, search and rescue, medevac, ad hoc helicopter, fixed wing transportation, unmanned systems, and ad-hoc helicopter services, as well as logistical and maintenance support, training services, and flight and maintenance crews. The company has a fleet of aircrafts. It has customers in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, the Dutch Caribbean, the Falkland Islands, India, Ireland, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Mexico, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, Spain, Suriname, Trinidad, the United Kingdom, and United States. Bristow Group Inc. is based in Houston, Texas.